Which startup festivals, trade fairs, and conferences should you mark your calendar for 2020? Here's an overview:
March
South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin (13-22 March 2020) – Update from March 9: SXSW 2020 will not take place
One of the world's largest startup and music festivals will once again take place in 2020 in the Texas capital of Austin. Under the motto "Welcome to the Future," you can immerse yourself in a variety of keynotes and sessions at SXSW. Make sure you check out the program in advance, otherwise you might experience FOMO—the fear of missing out. Why it's worth participating in SXSW as a startup. you can read here.
May
Re:publica in Berlin (6-8 May 2020)
Europe's largest conference on the internet and digital society is taking place in Berlin. The motto of re:publica 2020 is "ASAP (As soon as possible)" and is intended to highlight the urgency of our global and digital society. Furthermore, the motto is also intended to signal a spirit of optimism, activism, and movement. Exciting. We highly recommend a visit to Re:publica.
June
Noah in Berlin (4-5 June 2020)
As a kind of class reunion for investors could describe the Noah Conference. In June, the conference at Station Berlin will once again bring VCs, startups, and those who have yet to prove themselves come together. Early bird tickets are still available until December 31st.
Waterkant Festival in Kiel (June 11-13, 2020)
A festival in the far north that sounds promising: the Waterkant Festival in Kiel. Over two days, you can meet creative minds, companies, and non-profit organizations. The festival covers topics such as greentech, sustainability, new work, virtual reality, education, gaming/eSports, mobility, and much more.
Tech Open Air in Berlin (June 23-26, 2020)
The Tech Open Air — TOA for short — claims to be Europe's largest interdisciplinary technology festival. The Berlin-based festival aims to bring together disciplines such as technology, music, art, and science and promote collaboration between these disciplines. During the four-day event, interactive conferences on the latest trends in the startup tech world will be held alongside satellite events throughout Berlin.
Pirate Summit in Cologne (June 24-26, 2020)
A touch of Burning Man is wafting over the Pirate Summit in Cologne. Over two days, this somewhat unconventional startup event aims to bring together early-stage startups, investors, and corporates. In addition to expert sessions and masterclasses, startups also have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors.
July
Startupfest in Montreal (July 14-18, 2020)
Over 7,000 founders, investors, and companies gather every summer at Canada's largest startup event. Startups have a variety of pitch opportunities during the four-day startup fest, such as the $100k Prize or the Grandmothers' Choice, where older female investors sit on the jury.
September
Bits & Pretzels in Munich (September 27-29, 2020)
A homecoming for all Munich startups: Bits & Pretzels. The founders' festival, which will take place again next year at the end of September, consists of two festival days and one Oktoberfest day. Liquid networking, so to speak. The number of participants is limited to 5,000. It's worth attending, not least because of the big names the Bits & Pretzels founders bring to the stage each year. All we can say is: Barack Obama.
November
Web Summit in Lisbon (November 2-5, 2020)
Higher, faster, further — Web Summit. Last year, the mega-conference brought around 70,000 participants from 163 countries to Lisbon. Those interested in attending next year should keep the first week of November free and, above all, book flights and accommodations early. Because the city will be packed. If you're wondering whether the Web Summit is also worthwhile for startups, then this article can help you.
Slush in Helsinki (November 19-20, 2020)
You could end your 2020 conference year with a trip to the far north. Despite the cold and darkness, the startup conference Slush managed to attract around 25,000 techies, startups, and investors to Helsinki. Why and for whom a trip to Finland is worthwhile, you can find out. here and here read more.
